The town

Cork is the second most important city of Ireland, after Dublin; without doubt it has converted into one of the most attractive tourist cities in the South of Ireland. Recently Cork has become an important artistic and cultural hub where you can find poetry, jazz and film festivals. One of the most interesting buildings is the neo-gothic Fin Barre, the main street is Patrick’s Street, a commercial area that starts on one side of the river and ends in the Grand Parade, also there is the English Market where you can find lots of stalls with typical food from the area and juice bars. The most famous building is the Tower of the Shandon Church, which dominates the city, the north east facing part is constructed with red sandstone and the south west is built with white ashlar limestone. The Tower is known as the “Four Faced Liar” due to the fact that each of the four clocks seems to tell a different time.

The school

On this course the English classes take place in the Cork Institute of Technology situated outside of Cork. The building has excellent installations with large well equipped classrooms where the students study English in the mornings.

The accommodation

Students are treated as another member of the family. Sharing accommodation with the families forces the students to communicate and improve their English and their conversation practice. In Student Travel Camps the same family accommodates up to two students of different nationalities and they are responsible for ensuring that they speak English throughout.

Activities and half day excursions

Kinsale

Kinsale is a traditional port village found in the South West coast of Ireland. With a harbour filled with sailing and fishing boats, it’s a beautiful sight to behold. You can expect to meet some amazing people along with incredible food that you would want from any seaside town.

Blackrock Castle

This is an incredibly picturesque castle that came from the 16th century in the heart of Cork city. As it resides on the river, it was used to fight off pirates and other invaders from attacking the harbour. Now used as an observatory, it is a stunning place to visit with lots of history.

Spike Island

Known as the second largest natural harbour in the world, Spike Island is an incredibly fascinating place that has been shaped by history. Only recently opened to the public, this island has been host to a monastery of monks, a fortress and even a prison. It is now an intriguing place to visit that has its own natural beauty along with great historic value.

Saint Fin Barre’s Cathedral

An old Victorian cathedral built in the 1800s, it is part of the church of Ireland in Cork City. This amazing building stands in the middle of Cork city as a stunning piece of architecture and craftsmanship.

Youghal

The town is built on a steep riverbank, it is easily characterised as a very long and narrow settlement. With lots of festival and events along with many others things to do and see, Youghal is a great place to visit.